Method op hanging and elevating or depressing farm-gates



J.- F. DOWNING.

Patented April 15. 1856.

Gaje.

I No. 14,689.

N PETERS- Pbolo'mhognaher. Washinglan. l C.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

J. FRANCIS DOWNING, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF HANGING AND ELEVATING OR DEPRESSING FARM-GATES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,689, dated April 15, 1856.

To all whomit may concern Be it known that I, J. FRANCIS DowNINe, of thecity of Erie, county of Erie, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and Improved Mode of Hanging and Elevating Farm-Gates; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full and eXact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists, first, in hanging the gate, (whichmay be constructed in any of the known forms,) with a new and improvedhinge, as partly described in the accompanying drawing A.

One part of the hinge, D, (which I do not claim as original with me,) Imake of round iron of suitable size, and secure to the large post C, asrepresented in the drawings A. The other part of the hingethe part whichI claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, the rightto the exclusive use ofI construct as shown in the accompanying drawingB. E, E, I generally make of wrought iron, and in the opening F, F I puta small wheel with a groove, so as to form two circular openings I, I,intended for the reception of the part of the hinge D, as shown in thedrawing A. This part of the hinge E, E, I secure to the back stile ofthe gate, and being properly adjusted to the other part of the hinge,the gate may be raised and lowered, the grooved wheel G, running up anddown on the rod or part of the hinge D, D. The object in constructingthe part of the hinge E, E, as represented, with a grooved wheel to runon the rod D, is to avoid friction in raising and lowering the gate.

The nature of my invention further and chiefly consists, in attaching tothe gate one (or more) simple levers, as shown at K, K, in theaccompanying drawing A, by means of which the whole gate may be easilyelevated and sustained at any required height, and lowered at pleasure.To form a fulcrum, I attach one end of an iron-rod to a staple securedin the large post 0, at any convenient point, as at M, and the other endI attach to the lever at any point between N, when the lever is attachedto the gate, and 0, where the power is applied. By depressing the longarm of the lever at O, the whole gate is made to rise. The small pins 6,b, b, b, are used to secure or keep the lever in its desired place.

There are two points at which the gate may be raisedN, and R. lVhen thelever is applied to the upper point N, and the long arm is carried tothe lowest pin 6, the gate may be secured in its position by means ofthe large pin P, running through the large part C, and by putting theshort arm of the lever under the lower pin R, the gate may be raisedstill higher.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The part of the hinge E, E, (if it be patentable,) and theapplication of the lever as a means of elevating and lowering the gate,including the manner of obtaining the fulcrum, or point of purchase, byattaching a rod to any convenient point on the large post C.

2. The utility of constructing a gate according to the plan which I havedescribed, is to avoid the difliculty of snow-drifts and otherobstructions, which frequently render other kinds of gates inoperativeor inc0nvenient. By raising this gate by means of the lever, it willswing over snow, ice, and other obstructions, making it especiallyconvenient to farmers.

J. FRANCIS DOWVNING.

Witnesses:

JAs. H. GRIsWoLD, ALLEN A. CRAIG.

